Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-01-08

BROOKLYN, Dec. 26:-The Rev. /.
De Witt Talmage, ID. d., preached / n
the Brooklyn tabernacle this evening
on the subject; The Christmas Jubi-
lea." DR.. Talmage's text was st. Mat
thew, ch. H., v. 8.
"When they had heard the king, they de-
parted; and, 10, the star, which they saw In
the east, went before them, till it came AMI
stood over where the young child was"
The preacher said: At this season
all C~hristcndom celebrates the birth OF
Christ. Step down out of your com
Portable surroundings into the chill De
cember night Of Bethlehem. Two plain
people are hotelled in a village barn
after n walk of eighty miles, too long q
trudge for one in poor health. NO
lords OF state awaiting in ~antcchanlber,
as when other kings are born. No mes
sengcr mounted at the doorway ready
TO herald the advent from city to city.
No medical skill in attendance. No
satin-lined cradle to receive the infan-
tile guest. But a monarch born in the
hostelry called the house of Chimham,
the night with diamonded finger point
ing down to the place, the door of
heaven set wide open TO look out; from
orchestral batons of light, dripping the
oratorios Of the Messiah: on lowest
Doorstep of heaven the Ministries dis
conraing Of
GLORY AND OoD WILL.
Soon after the white bearded astrol-
ogists kneel, and from lcathern pouch
chink the shekels, and from open sacks
exhale the frankincense aud rustic out
the bundles of myrrh. The loosened
star; the escaped dexology of celestials;
the chill December night aflush with
May morn; our world Q lost star, and
enother star rushing down the sky that
night to beckon the wanderer home
again, shall yet make all nations keep
Christmas.
Are there no new lessons from the
story not yet hackneyed by eft re-
peatalp Oh, yes! Now in the first
place, ii was q sidereal appearance that
Ted the way. 'Lo, the star which they
saw in the east went before them
Why not a black cloud in the shape Of
a hand or a finger pointing down to
the sacred birthplace? A cloud means
trouble, and the world had had trouble
enough. Why not ~ shaft of lightning
quiyering and flashing and striking
down TO the sacred birthplace Light
ming means destruction, "a SCATTERING
and consuming power, and the world
wanted no more destruction.
But it was a star, and that means
Joy, that means hope, that means good
cheer, that means ascendency. starr
That means creative power, for did not
the morning stars sing together when
the portfolio Of the worlds was openedP
A. star! That means defense, for did
not the stars fightin their course against
Sisera, and for the Lords peopleF A
start That means brilliant continu-
ance. for are not the righteous to shine
rs the stars forever and everP A star!
That means
THE OPENING OF ETERNAL JOY.
The day star in the heart. The morn
ing star of the Redeemer.
The unusual appearance that night
may have been a strange conjunction
of worlds. As the transit of Venus was
foretold many years ago by astron-
omers, and astronomers can
tell what will be the conjunction
of worlds 3 thousand years from now.
80 they can calculate backwards. and
even iufidel astronomers have been
compelled to testify that about the year
one there was n very unusual appear
ance in the heavens. The Chinese rec
CD, of course entirely independent of
tho w ord of God, gives as a matter OF
history that about the year one there
was a strange and unaccountable APP
pearance in the heavens. But it may
have been a meteor such as you and
have seen flash in the horizon. Only a
few years ago | saw N the western SKY
a star shoot aud fall with such bril-
liancy and precision that if had been
on a hill as high as that of Bethlehem
on which the shepherds stood, | could
hay marked within a short distance
the place of the alighting. The Uni
yersity of Iowa and the British use
um have specimens OF meteoric stones
picked up in .ie fields, fragments flung
of from other worlds, leaving a fiery
trail on the sky. So that it is not te
me at all improbable, the stellar or The
meteoric appearance on that night o
which we speak. ! only care to know
that il was bright, that it was silvery
shat it flashed, and swayed, ant
swung and halted with JOY celestial
~ though Christ, in haste to a V ou1
world, had rushed down without Iii
coronet, and the angels of God ha'
hurled it after Him! Not a black CLIQUE
Of threat, but a bright star of hope il
our glorious Christianity. On